How to get a high GPA at USIU

How to get a high GPA at USIU.

When I first joined USIU back in the fall of 2016 I honestly didn’t know what to expect in the way of exams and stuff.

I’m an introvert, so making friends and stuff really isn’t my thing, and the thought of finding senior students to ask about that stuff basically made me break into hives because there were no resources online at my school specifically on how to navigate these things.

That is exactly why I decided to share all the things with you all on my blog. Without further ado, here is how to get a good GPA at USIU:

1. Attendance

USIU’s policy on attendance is absolute and very, very rigid across all faculties, 6 absences equal an automatic F Grade.

This F grade is non-negotiable, you will go to complain to the dean and be turned away because the policy is there to make sure that the students attend classes and get their money’s worth or at least their parent’s money’s worth.

What does attendance have to do with a GPA? An F Grade is very heavy in negative weight, it might take your GPA from 3.5 to 2.1 in one fell swoop. Therefore, if you are serious about getting a good GPA, then attend at least 4/5 of all your classes in the semester.

2. Assignments

I have seen this countless times, students will be lux in doing their assignments, give their all in the midterms and end terns, and still get a mediocre grade. Why is that? That is because, in USIU, the main exams only account for 50% of your total grade.

What does that have to do with anything? That means that the other 50% will come from attendance, you get ten free points for attendance, and you will also get points for your assignments as well as continuous assessment tests. So it isn’t just about the main exams.

Here is a tip from a veteran, take your extra credit assignments seriously. Why? Sometimes the lecturer decides to even out the score or something, when that happens they use extra credit assignments to level out the scores. So if you did them poorly, then you miss out on basically “mercy points”.

3. Midterms and End-Terms

For you to do well and have the GPA you want, you need to make sure you study hard for your midterms and your end terms. Review all the slides and notes you took during class and supplement that with your course text and any additional reading you were given.

It sounds like a lot but I am telling you how to succeed. Also, when you are revising for your exams please don’t do it the night before, you will fail, I am telling you now. That lazy strategy never works, you end up being overwhelmed and when test time comes you end up forgetting everything, so please don’t disservice yourself.

4. Class combos

Here is something I had to learn the hard way, choose your classes with the help of a career advisor. Of course, there are career advisors that are more well-liked than others, but sadly I cannot share their names on such a public platform without their consent, so just ask whichever student you meet in the career advising wing.

Do not try to pick your classes on your own, you will end up choosing all hard courses and end up frustrated when you have a mediocre grade across the board, so please ask for help, the school has full-time course advisors for a reason, use them.

5. Your circle

Show me your friends and I will tell you about your character. Listen to me, if you want to graduate with honors, the company you keep will either be the wind beneath your wings or the stone sinking you to the bottom of the ocean, you choose.

You need to find like-minded people if you want to succeed in your undergraduate career. I was a loner for the majority of my undergraduate, I mean I had acquaintances yes however they were few and far between because I noticed that trying hard wasn’t a culture I saw all that often, so there was a mismatch in values.

That is what gave me space and time to work on my GPA, and now I will be graduating with honors with a GPA of 3.64. I know it’s not a 4.0 GPA, but considering I was pulling it up from a 3.1 GPA, I am happy with where we landed :).

6. Consistency

It won’t do you any good to have a 4.0 GPA one semester, then a 3.0 GPA the next. If you want a good Grade Point Average, then you must be consistent.

Remember it is an average of all your scores across all your classes across all your semesters, so it isn’t just about doing well in one class or doing well that one semester, it is about doing well across all your classes across all the semesters that is how you maintain a good GPA.

I shall conclude by saying that there are no handouts, at the end of the day you get what you work for, and that is that.

When I was there I had to figure out all the things that I am sharing here with you the hard way, but I don’t mind, because if it, I can come here and provide value to you and help you out, but in turn, you have to do the work so make sure you attend your classes and do your assignments and study hard otherwise all this will have been for nothing.

Until the next time, wear your mask and keep a healthy social distance!